Sunday,
19 January 2025
Merton farm goes viral in the US

FOX Pastoral in Merton recently went viral when a Today Show segment filmed at the property garnered a fair bit of international interest.

Within 24 hours the footage, filmed in covered stock yards at the property on the morning of April 23, had become an internet sensation.

Footage of weatherman Tim Davies in amongst some calves looking decidedly uncomfortable and struggling not to gag, was picked up by CNN and before the end of the week the clip had generated well over 200,000 views.

"I'm such a city slicker," Davies commented, whilst trying to regain his composure.

It could have been the early morning wake–up call, or the near freezing temperatures in Merton, that had him not feeling his best.

Or it could have been the combination of cow manure, and farmhand Emma Tadday regaling the crew with stories about all the calves featured in the live–to–air cross.

Before being miked up, Emma – who appears in the viral clip – had been discussing and describing prolapses in cattle in–depth.

"Before we went to air, I'd also been talking about my calf named Scouza," said Emma.

"He had the scours when he was young, and he was always doing runny poos."

Having done an impressive job of warming up the crowd it was not surprising that when they came to filming, Tim Davies' gag reflex was somewhat triggered, exacerbated by the sensory overload.

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What initially started off as plug for the 2023 Cobber Challenge, showcasing the importance of working dogs on farms, rapidly became a viral sensation.

In the Cobber Challenge competing dogs are given a GPS collar that tracks their distance, working distance and speed over a three week period, with dogs ranked at the end of the trial and a champion awarded.

Local shearing contractor and kelpie breeder and trainer, Aoidh Doyle along with his dog Cash are ambassadors for the challenge, having won numerous awards in recent years in different trials and championships.

It was through Aoidh's collaboration with Cobber, and his connection to the Foxes in Merton, that the Today team made the early morning pilgrimage to the North East, to film working dogs in a farm environment and promote the challenge.

The calves were just one of the live crosses.

"The calves are my pets and they also are the training calves for my own working dogs," said Emma, who breeds border collies.

"The clip was supposed to celebrate working dogs in a yard environment, and acknowledge the contribution that Cobber makes on–farm through balanced and nutritious feed for these vital members of our farm workforce.

"It didn't go as planned," Emma said with a laugh.